Time yourself for one minute of your speech, then copy to where you made it into WordCounter to see how many words you speak per minute. If want to know how many words per minute (WPM) you personally say when giving a speech, you can use a timer to time yourself, then input that number into the options section.

Simply click on “Options” then the “Details” tab and then the wrench next to the “Speaking Time” button. The WordCounter speaking time detail defaults 150 words per minute (an average speed which would give a result of 1,500 words, as this is the recommended speed for audiobooks to be read at for best listening), but you can use the options section to adjust to a slower or faster pace. With this in mind, a 10-minute speech would require 1,000 to 2,000 words. The general rule for speech giving is 100 to 200 words per minute. That being said, there are some general guidelines which can help you make an educated guess at approximately how many words will be needed for a speech. Those who speak quickly will need to write more words for each minute of their speech than those who speak at a slower pace. Some people speak slowly when giving a speech while others speak quickly. The number of words needed for a speech will depend heavily on the person giving the speech.

For anyone who has to give a speech, one of the first questions that usually comes to mind is, “How many words is that going to be?” The problem is there is no set answer to this question.

Speech timer word count